Diaphragm sealed vent for containers



March 12, 1957 G. T. RIEKE 2,734,865

DIAPHRAGM SEALED VENT FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 21. 1954 v INVENTOR. 620v 7'. F/EKE.

United States Patent DIAPHRAGM SEALED VENT FOR CONTAINERS Glenn T. Rieke, Auburn, Ind., assignor to Rieke Metal ProductsCorporation, Auburn, Ind., a corporation Application June 21, 1954, Serial No. 438,050

1 Claim. (Cl. 220--44) This invention relates to a diaphragm sealed vent for containers, such as metal drums and the like, and particularly wherein there is employed a plastic plug provided with a sealing diaphragm adapted to receive a small plug for controlled venting.

It has heretofore been the practice to provide two fittings in the head of fifty-five gallon drums, for example, one serving as an air vent for the other, wherein a pump or faucet may be utilized in either. It is the standard practice to employ pipe sizes wherein the larger closure is of a two inch size and the smaller closure of three-quarters inch size. However, it is desired, and therefore the purpose of this invention, to provide a vent for the container head opposite the drain plug.

It is accordingly the purpose of this invention to mount in such opening of the container a diaphragm sealed grommeted type of plastic plug to receive and house a small venting plug provided with a passage so that when the plug is removed and the diaphragm punctured, the venting plug may then be reinserted in the plug to control venting therethrough to the extent that it may be backed away from the plug in the manner hereinafter more particularly described. It may be noted that in the reconditioning and reuse of the container, the plug may be readily cut out and replaced with a new fitting by a simple and economical operation.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a portion of the container with the sealed vent unit therein.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the several elements of the diaphragm sealed vent unit shown in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view taken from the lines 44 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings there is shown a wall portion of the container to be vented having an opening 11 surrounded by a collar 12 and sealing ledge 13.

The diaphragm sealed vent unit includes a sealing plug 14 preferably formed of a flexible and compressible material, such as polyethylene (natural). Said plug is internally screw threaded at 15, being open at the top and initially closed at the bottom by a severable diaphragm 16. It is formed with an indented annular exterior wall 17 which is slightly larger than the opening 11 of the container so as to effect a seal therewith under compression. The lower initially closed end of the plug is tapered inwardly and downwardly at 18 to facilitate entry of the plug into the opening 11. The tapered portion terminates upwardly in a shoulder 19 to effect a lock with the under edge of the collar 12 upon the plug being forced therein. An opposed sealing shoulder 20 lies in spaced relation to the locking shoulder 19 for sealing engagement with the ledge 13 of the container. The upper portion of the plug is formed with a radially extending sealing surface 21 having an under cut portion 22 terminating in the sealing shoulder 20. Said plug may be forcibly compressed through the opening 11 in the container to 2,784,865 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 lock with the collar 12 and effect a seal therefor through the wall 17 and between the sealing shoulder 20 and ledge 13.

A vent plug 23 is adapted to screw into the plug, said vent plug having an exteriorly threaded shank 24 and a head 25 provided with a tool-engaging slot 26. The shank is slotted at 27 to provide a vent passage through the screw threads on one side thereof, said slot being open at its lower end and terminating at its upper end in a venting recess 28 surrounded by a sealing head 29 formed about the lower surface of the head 25.

A protective cap seal 30 is formed to fit over and be crimped about the undercut periphery 22 of the sealing plug 14, as shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose the cap, which is of metal, is closed at the top and formed with an upper extension 31 adapted to snugly fit over the head 25 of the plug. Said cap is flanged outwardly at 32 to seat over the sealing surface 21 of the sealing flange. The initially cylindrical downwardly extending lip portion 33 of the cap is dimensioned to surround the undercut periphery 22 of the plug for crimping thereabout in tamper-proof sealing relation.

In the use of the above described unit the plug 14 is pressed through the opening 11 to interlock with the collar 12 in sealing engagement with the container. The diaphragm 16 being in place, the container will thus be sealed against passage of fluid or gases therethrough. The vent plug 23 is screwed into the plug and the cap seal crimped thereabout. In this condition the container is sealed against venting or tampering with the contents. However, when placed in use for permiting withdrawal of the contents or the venting of the container, the cap seal and vent plug are removed from the flange, whereupon the diaphragm 16 is severed therefrom, opening a passageway through the internal screw threaded portion. For controlling the venting the plug is then screwed into the flange, permitting venting of gases through the slot 27 provided the plug is not screwed firmly .in the flange with its sealing bead 29 in sealing engagement with the sealing surface 21, as shown in Fig. 1.

By backing the plug off from the flange to permit venting through the slot 27 and from under the bead 29, the extent of venting may be controlled. Thus, if the plug is backed off sufliciently there will be free venting therethrough, or by screwing the plug down tightly the venting will be sealed off by the sealing bead, and control of the venting may be effected through intermediate atljustment of the plug.

When it is desired to recondition the container for reuse, the plug 14 may be cut out and removed from the opening, and a new plug with its sealed diaphragm again pressed into place. While there is shown and described herein a protective cap seal indicated at 30, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of such a seal inasmuch as the flange with its severable diaphragm and the sealing vent plug provides a suflicient venting closure initially sealed until the plug is removed and the diaphragm severed. Thus, the invention may be used with or Without the cap, the latter merely providing the usual protection against tampering.

The invention claimed is:

A vent unit for containers having an opening and sun rounding collar of predetermined depth comprising an axially bored internally threaded plug of compressible material closed by a severable diaphragm at its inner end and having an indented annular exterior wall of slightly less length than the axial length of said collar, said wall terminating at one end in a sealing shoulder engaging the outer end of said collar in compressible sealing relationship therewith and at its inner end terminating in a shoulder engaging in compressible sealing relationship with the inner end of said collar, said wall being slightly larger in diameter than the inner Wall of said collar, an inward ly and downwardly tapered end portion leading from said last mentioned shoulder to the inner end of said plug for facilitating the forcing of said plug through said collar with said Wall compressed therein and said shoulders in sealing engag'ement Withthe'op'posite' ends'o'f said collar, and an'eXternally threaded vent plug threaded into said bore, said vent plug being formed of compressible material With an integral cupped sealing head engaged with the outer end of said plug about the threaded bore therein, and a gas'venting passage extending through the screw threaded portion of said vent plug from the inner end communicating with said cup portion, whereby said plug will be self sealing and said'vent plug will seal ofi venting upon being 'secrewed into plug sealing engagement and will break such sealing to permit venting of said passage uponbeing backed off'from said plug out of sealing engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 866,938 Kinsey Sept. 24, 1907 1,241,352 Doering et al. Sept. 25, 1941 2,228,936 Walter Ian. 14, 1941 2,368,431 Smith Jan. 30, 1945 2,412,169 ONeil Dec. 3, 1946 2,653,609 Smith Sept. 29, 1953 

